English
demonic
Demonic comes from Latin daemonicus ‘demonic, devilish’, from Ancient Greek δαίμων ‘divine power’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- ‘to share, to divide’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂y-‘to share, to divide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδαίομαιdaíomai‘to divide’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδαίμων‘divine power’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδαιμονικόςdaimonikós‘possessed by a demon, sent by a demon’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdaemonicus‘demonic, devilish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1999demonic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂y-‘to share, to divide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδαίομαιdaíomai‘to divide’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδαίμων‘divine power’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδαιμονικόςdaimonikós‘possessed by a demon, sent by a demon’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdaemonicus‘demonic, devilish’
- Englishearliest quotation 1999demonic
Earliest quotation: 1999, Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams: “Aristotle concedes that the nature of the dream is…”
Formed from demon + -ic
Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- ‘to share, to divide’
Ancient Greek δαίομαι ‘to divide’
Ancient Greek δαίμων ‘dispenser, god, protective spirit’
Medieval Latin dēmōn ‘lar, familiar spirit, guardian spirit’
Middle English demon ‘demon, devil, malicious spirit’
English demon
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- ‘to share, to divide’
time, till, til, tide, tease, tass, 24 more
through Ancient Greek δαίμων ‘divine power’
Today it means
adj Pertaining to demons or evil spirits; demoniac.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- / demonic